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Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila

SECOND DIVISION

G.R. No. L-32974 July 30, 1979

BARTOLOME ORTIZ, petitioner,

vs.
HON. UNION C. KAYANAN, in his capacity as Judge of the Court of First Instance of Quezon, Branch IV;
ELEUTERIO ZAMORA, QUIRINO COMINTAN, VICENTE FERRO, AND GREGORIO PAMISARAN, respondents.

Salonga, Ordo;ez, Yap, Sicat & Associates and Salvador, Ulgado & Carbon for petitioner.

Jose A. Cusi for private respondents.

ANTONIO, J.: 1wph1.t

Petition for certiorari and Prohibition with Preliminary Injunction to nullify the Order of respondent Judge directing the
execution of the final judgment in Civil Case No. C-90, entitled "Bartolome Ortiz vs. Secretary of Agriculture and
Natural Resources, et al.," and the Writ of Execution issued to implement said Order, allegedly for being inconsistent
with the judgment sought to be enforced.

Civil Case No. C-90 was filed by Bartolome Ortiz who sought the review and/or annulment of the decision of the
Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, giving preference to the sales applications of private respondents
Quirino Comintan and Eleuterio Zamora over Lot No. 5785, PLS-45, located at Barrio Cabuluan, Calauag, Quezon.

The factual background of the case, as found by respondent Court, is as follows: t.hqw

... The lot in controversy was formerly the subject of Homestead Application No. 122417 of Martin
Dolorico II, plaintiff's ward who died on August 20, 1931; that since then it was plaintiff who continued
the cultivation and possession of the property, without however filing any application to acquire title
thereon; that in the Homestead Application No. 122417, Martin Dolorico II named his uncle, Martin
Dolorico I as his heir and successor in interest, so that in 1951 Martin Dolorico I executed an affidavit
relinquishing his rights over the property in favor of defendants Quirino Comintan and Eleuterio
Zamora, his grandson and son-in-law, respectively, and requested the Director of Lands to cancel the
homestead application; that on the strength of the affidavit, Homestead Application No. 122417 was
cancelled and thereafter, defendants Comintan and Zamora filed their respective sales applications
Nos. 8433 and 9258; that plaintiff filed his protest on November 26, 1951 alleging that he should be
given preference to purchase the lot inasmuch as he is the actual occupant and has been in continuous
possession of the same since 1931; and inspite of plaintiff's opposition, "Portion A" of the property was
sold at public auction wherein defendant Comintan was the only bidder; that on June 8, 1957,
investigation was conducted on plaintiff's protest by Assistant Public Lands Inspector Serapion Bauzon
who submitted his report to the Regional Land Officer, and who in turn rendered a decision on April 9,
1958, dismissing plaintiff's claim and giving due course to defendants' sales applications on the ground
that the relinquishment of the homestead rights of Martin Dolorico I in favor of Comintan and Zamora is
proper, the former having been designated as successor in interest of the original homestead applicant
and that because plaintiff failed to participate in the public auction, he is forever barred to claim the
property; that plaintiff filed a motion for reconsideration of this decision which was denied by the
Director of Lands in his order dated June 10, 1959; that, finally, on appeal to the Secretary of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, the decision rendered by the Regional Land Officer was affirmed in
 toto. 1

On March 22, 1966, respondent Court rendered judgment in the afore-mentioned civil case, the dispositive portion
of which reads as follows: t.hqw

IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING CONSIDERATIONS, judgment is hereby rendered awarding Lot No.
5785-A of PLS-45, (Calauag Public Land Subdivision) one-half portion of the property in litigation
located at Bo. Cabuluan, Calauag, Quezon, in favor of defendant QUIRINO COMINTAN, being the
successful bidder in the public auction conducted by the bureau of Lands on April 18, 1955, and hereby
giving due course to the Sales Application No. 9258 of defendant Eleuterio Zamora over the other half,
Lot No. 5785-B of PLS-45, Calauag, without prejudice to the right of plaintiff BARTOLOME ORTIZ to
participate in the public bidding of the same to be announced by the Bureau of Lands, Manila.
However, should plaintiff Bartolome Ortiz be not declared the successful bidder thereof, defendants
Quirino Comintan and Eleuterio Zamora are ordered to reimburse jointly said plaintiff the improvements
he has introduced on the whole property in the amount of THIRTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED
THIRTY-TWO (P13,632.00) PESOS, the latter having the right to retain the property until after he has
been fully paid therefor, without interest since he enjoys the fruits of the property in question, with
prejudice and with costs again the plaintiff. 2

Plaintiff appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals.

Two (2) years after the rendition of the judgment by the court a quo, while the case was pending appeal and upon
petition of private respondents Quirino Comintan and Eleuterio Zamora, respondent Court appointed respondent
Vicente Ferro, Clerk of Court, as Receiver to collect tolls on a portion of the property used as a diversion road. On
August 19, 1969, the Court of Appeals issued a Resolution annulling the Order appointing the Receiver.
Subsequently, on February 19, 1970, the Appellate Court affirmed the decision of the trial court. A petition for review
on certiorari of the decision of the Court of Appeals was denied by this Court on April 6, 1970. At this point, private
respondents filed a petition for appointment of a new receiver with the court a quo. This petition was granted and the
receiver was reappointed. Petitioner sought the annulment of this Order with the Court of Appeals, but said Court
ruled that its decision had already become final and that the records of the case were to be remanded to the trial
court.

Not satisfied with such denial, petitioner filed a petitioner for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus with preliminary
injunction before this Court, 3 praying for the annulment of the Order reappointing the Receiver. On July 13, 1970, the
petition was dismissed by this Court on the ground of insufficient showing of grave abuse of discretion.

II

The judgment having become final and executory private respondents filed a motion for the execution of the same,
praying as follows: t.hqw

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court to order the issuance of a writ of
execution in accordance with the judgment of this Honorable Court, confirmed by the Court of Appeals
and the Supreme Court, commanding any lawful officer to deliver to defendants Comintan and Zamora
the land subject of the decision in this case but allowing defendants to file a bond in such amount as
this Honorable Court may fix, in lieu of the P13,632.00 required to be paid to plaintiff, conditioned that
after the accounting of the tools collected by plaintiff, there is still an amount due and payable to said
plaintiff, then if such amount is not paid on demand, including the legal interests, said bond shall be
held answerable.

Ordering further the plaintiff to render an accounting of the tolls he collected from March of 1967 to
December 31, 1968 and from September 1969 to March 31, 1970, and deliver said tolls collected to the
receiver and if judgment is already executed, then to Quirino Comintan and Eleuterio Zamora; and,

Finally, to condemn plaintiff to pay moral damages for withholding the tools which belong to your
movant in an amount this Court may deem just in the premises. 4

Acting upon the foregoing motion, respondent Judge issued an Order, dated September 23, 1970, stating, among
others, the following: t.hqw

The records further disclosed that from March 1967 to December 31, 1968, piaintiff Bartolome Ortiz
collected tolls on a portion of the propertv in question wherein he has not introduced anv improvement
particularlv on Lot No. 5785-A; PLS-45 awarded to defendant Quirino Comintan, thru which vehicular
traffic was detoured or diverted, and again from September 1969 to March 31, 1970, the plaintiff
 resumed the collection of tools on the same portion without rendering any accounting on said tolls to
the Receiver, who, was reappointed after submitting the required bond and specifically authorized only
to collect tolls leaving the harvesting of the improvements to the plaintiff.

xxx xxx xxx

ln virtue of he findings of this Court as contained in the dispositive portion of its decision, the
defendants are jointly obligated to pay the plaintiff in the amount of P13,632.00 as reasonable value of
the improvements he introduced on the whole property in question, and that he has the right of
retention until fully paid. It can be gleaned from the motion of the defendants that if plaintiff submits an
accounting of the tolls he collected during the periods above alluded to, their damages of about
P25,000.00 can more than offset their obligation of P13,362.00 in favor of the plaintiff, thereafter the
possession of the land be delivered to the defendants since the decision of the Supreme Court has
already become final and executory, but in the interregnum pending such accounting and recovery by
the Receiver of the tolls collected by the plaintiff, the defendants pray that they allowed to put up a
bond in lieu of the said P13,632.00 to answer for damages of the former, if any.

On the other hand, plaintiff contends in his opposition, admitting that the decision of the Supreme Court
has become final and executory; (1) the offer of a bond in lieu of payment of P13,632.00 does not, and
cannot, satisfy the condition imposed in the decision of this Court which was affirmed in toto; (2) the
public sale of Portion "B" of the land has still to take place as ordained before the decision could be
executed; and, (3) that whatever sums plaintiff may derive from the property cannot be set off against
what is due him for the improvements he made, for which he has to be reimbursed as ordered.

xxx xxx xxx

Let it be known that plaintiff does not dispute his having collected tolls during the periods from March
1967 to December 31, 1968 and from September 1969 to March 31, 1970. The Supreme Court
affirmed the decision of this Court its findings that said tolls belong to the defendant, considering that
the same were collected on a portion of the land question where the plaintiff did not introduce any
improvement. The reimbursement to the plaintiff pertains only to the value of the improvements, like
coconut trees and other plants which he introduced on the whole property. The tolls collected by the
plaintiff on an unimproved portion naturally belong to the defendants, following the doctrine on
accretion. Further, the reappointment of a Receiver by this Court was upheld by the Supreme Court
when it denied the petition for certiorari filed by the plaintiff, bolstering the legal claim of defendants
over said tolls. Thus, the decision of the Supreme Court rendered the decision of this Court retroactive
from March 22, 1966 although pending accounting of the tolls collected by the plaintiff is justified and
will not prejudice anybody, but certainly would substantially satisfy the conditions imposed in the
decision. However, insofar as the one-half portion "B" of the property, the decision may be executed
only after public sale by the Bureau of Lands shall be accomplished.

WHEREFORE, finding the Motion for Execution filed by the defendants to be meritorious, the same is
granted; provided, however, that they put up a bond equal the adjudicated amount of P13,632.00
accruing in favor of the plaintiff, from a reputable or recognized bonding or surety company, conditioned
that after an accounting of the tolls collected by the plaintiff should there be found out any balance due
and payable to him after reckoning said obligation of P13,632.00 the bond shall be held answerable
therefor. 5

Accordingly, a Writ of Execution was issued after private respondent Quirino Comintan had filed the required bond.
The writ directed the Sheriff to enforce the decision of the Court, and stated, part in, the following:
t.hqw

But should there be found any amount collectible after accounting and deducting the amount of
P3,632.00, you are hereby ordered that of the goods and chattels of Bartolome Ortiz of Bo. Kabuluan,
Calauag, Quezon, be caused to be made any excess in the above-metioned amount together with your
lawful fees and that you render same to defendant Quirino Comintan. If sufficient personal property
cannot be found thereof to satisfy this execution and lawful fees thereon, then you are commanded that
of the lands and buildings of the said BARTOLOME ORTIZ you make the said excess amount in the
manner required by the Rules of Court, and make return of your proceedings within this Court within
sixty (60) days from date of service.

You are also ordered to cause Bartolome Ortiz to vacate the property within fifteen (15) days after
service thereof the defendant Quirino Comintan having filed the required bond in the amount of
THIRTEEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO (P13,632.00) PESOS. 6
On October 12, 1970, petitioner filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the aforesaid Order and Writ of Execution,
alleging:
t.hqw

(a) That the respondent judge has no authority to place respondents in possession of the property;

(b) That the Supreme Court has never affirmed any decision of the trial court that tolls collected from
the diversionary road on the property, which is public land, belong to said respondents;

(c) That to assess petitioner a P25,000.00 liability for damages is purely punitive imposition without
factual or legal justification.

The foregoing Motion for Reconsideration was denied by respondent Judge per Order dated November 18, 1970.
Saod Order states, in part: t.hqw

It goes without saying that defendant Comintan is entitled to be placed in possession of lot No. 5785-A
of PLS-45 (Calauag Public Land Subdivision) and enjoyment of the tolls from March, 1967 to March,
1968 and from September, 1969 to March 31, l970 which were received by plaintiff Bartolome Ortiz,
collected from the property by reason of the diversion road where vehicular traffic was detoured. To
defendant Comintan belongs the tolls thus collected from a portion of the land awarded to him used as
a diversionary road by the doctrine of accretion and his right over the same is ipso jure, there being no
need of any action to possess said addition. It is so because as consistently maintained by the
Supreme Court, an applicant who has complied with all the terms and conditions which entitle him to a
patent for a particular tract of publlic land, acquires a vested right therein and is to be regarded as
equitable owner thereof so that even without a patent, a perfected homestead or sales application is a
property right in the fullest sense, unaffectcd by the fact that the paramount title is still in the
Government and no subsequent law can deprive him of that vested right The question of the actual
damages suffered by defendant Comintan by reason of the unaccounted tolls received by plaintiff had
already been fully discussed in the order of September 23, 1970 and the Court is honestly convinced
and believes it to be proper and regular under the circumstances.

Incidentally, the Court stands to correct itself when in the same order, it directed the execution of he
decision with respect to the one-half portion "B" of the property only after the public sale by the Bureau
of Lands, the same being an oversight, it appearing that the Sales Application of defendant Eleuterio
Zamora had already been recognized and full confirmed by the Supreme Court.

In view thereof, finding the motion filed by plaintiff to be without merit, the Court hereby denies the
same and the order of September 23, 1970 shall remain in full force subject to the amendment that the
execution of the decision with respect to the one-half portion "B" shall not be conditioned to the public
sale by the Bureau of Lands.

SO ORDERED. 7

III

Petitioner thus filed the instant petition, contending that in having issued the Order and Writ of Execution,
respondent Court "acted without or in excess of jurisdiction, and/or with grave abuse of discretion, because the said
order and writ in effect vary the terms of the judgment they purportedly seek to enforce." He argued that since said
judgment declared the petitioner a possessor in good faith, he is entitled to the payment of the value of the
improvements introduced by him on the whole property, with right to retain the land until he has been fully paid such
value. He likewise averred that no payment for improvements has been made and, instead, a bond therefor had
been filed by defendants (private respondents), which, according to petitioner, is not the payment envisaged in the
decision which would entitle private respondents to the possession of the property. Furthermore, with respect to
portion "B", petitioner alleges that, under the decision, he has the right to retain the same until after he has
participated and lost in the public bidding of the land to be conducted by the Bureau of Lands. It is claimed that it is
only in the event that he loses in the bidding that he can be legally dispossessed thereof.

It is the position of petitioner that all the fruits of the property, including the tolls collected by him from the passing
vehicles, which according to the trial court amounts to P25,000.00, belongs to petitioner and not to defendant/private
respondent Quirino Comintan, in accordance with the decision itself, which decreed that the fruits of the property
shall be in lieu of interest on the amount to be paid to petitioner as reimbursement for improvements. Any contrary
opinion, in his view, would be tantamount to an amendment of a decision which has long become final and
executory and, therefore, cannot be lawfully done.

Petitioner, therefore, prayed that: (1) a Writ of Preliminary Injunction be issued enjoining the enforcement of the
Orders of September 23, 1970 and November 18, 1970, and the Writ of Execution issued thereto, or restoring to
petitioner the possession of the property if the private respondents had been placed in possession thereof; (2)
annulling said Orders as well as the Writ of Execution, dissolving the receivership established over the property; and
(3) ordering private respondents to account to petitioner all the fruits they may have gathered or collected from the
property in question from the time of petitioiier's illegal dispossession thereof.

On January 29, 1971, this Court issued the Writ of Preliminary Injunction. On January 30, 1971, private respondents
filed a Motion for Reconsideration and/or Modification of the Order dated January 29, 1971. This was followed by a
Supplemental Motion for Reconsideration and Manifestation on February 3, 1971. In the latter motion, private
respondents manifested that the amount of P14,040.96, representing the amount decreed in the judgment as
reimbursement to petitioner for the improvements, plus interest for six months, has already been deposited by them
in court, "with the understanding that said amount shall be turned over to the plaintiff after the court a quo shall have
determined the improvement on Lot 5785-A, and subsequently the remaining balance of the deposit shall be
delivered to the petitioner (plaintiff therein) in the event he loses the bid for Lot 5785-B in favor of private respondent
Eleuterio Zamora." 8 The deposit is evidenced by a certification made by the Clerk of the Court a quo. 9 Contending that
said deposit was a faithful compliance with the judgment of the trial court, private respondent Quirino Comintan prayed for
the dissolution of the Writ of Injunction.

It appears that as a consequence of the deposit made by private respondents, the Deputy, Sheriff of Calauag,
Quezon ousted petitioner's representative from the land in question and put private respondents in possession
thereof. 10

On March 10, 1971, petitioner filed a "Comment on Respondents' 'Motion for Reconsideration' dated January 29,
1971' and 'Supplemental Motion for Reconsideration and Manifestation,'" contending that the tender of deposit
mentioned in the Suplemental Motion was not really and officially made, "inasmuch as the same is not supported by
any official receipt from the lower court, or from its clerk or cashier, as required by law;" that said deposit does not
constitute sufficient compliance with the judgment sought to be enforced, neither was it legally and validly made
because the requisites for consignation had not been complied with; that the tender of legal interest for six months
cannot substitute petitioner's enjoyment of the fruits of the property as long as the judgment in Civil Case No. C-90
has not been implemented in the manner decreed therein; that contrary to the allegations of private respondents,
the value of the improvements on the whole property had been determined by the lower court, and the segregation
of the improvements for each lot should have been raised by them at the opportune moment by asking for the
modification of the decision before it became final and executory; and that the tolls on the property constituted "civil
fruits" to which the petitioner is entitled under the terms of the decision.

IV

The issue decisive of the controvery isafter the rendition by the trial court of its judgment in Civil Case No. C-90 on
March 22, 1966 confirming the award of one-half of the property to Quirino Comintanwhether or not petitioner is
still entitled to retain for his own exclusive benefit all the fruits of the property, such as the tolls collected by him from
March 1967 to December 1968, and September 1969 to March 31, 1970, amounting to about P25,000.00. In other
words, petitioner contends that so long as the aforesaid amount of P13,632,00 decreed in the judgment
representing the expenses for clearing the land and the value of the coconuts and fruit trees planted by him remains
unpaid, he can appropriate for his exclusive benefit all the fruits which he may derive from the property, without any
obligation to apply any portion thereof to the payment of the interest and the principal of the debt.

We find this contention untenable.

There is no question that a possessor in good faith is entitled to the fruits received before the possession is legally
interrupted. 11 Possession in good faith ceases or is legally interrupted from the moment defects in the title are made known
to the possessor, by extraneous evidence or by the filing of an action in court by the true owner for the recovery of the
property. 12 Hence, all the fruits that the possessor may receive from the time he is summoned in court, or when he answers
the complaint, must be delivered and paid by him to the owner or lawful possessor. 13

However, even after his good faith ceases, the possessor in fact can still retain the property, pursuant to Article 546
of the New Civil Code, until he has been fully reimbursed for all the necessary and useful expenses made by him on
the property. This right of retention has been considered as one of the conglomerate of measures devised by the
law for the protection of the possessor in good faith. Its object is to guarantee the reimbursement of the expenses,
such as those for the preservation of the property, 14 or for the enhancement of its utility or productivity. 15 It permits the
actual possessor to remain in possession while he has not been reimbursed by the person who defeated him in the
possession for those necessary expenses and useful improvements made by him on the thing possessed. The principal
characteristic of the right of retention is its accessory character. It is accessory to a principal obligation. Considering that the
right of the possessor to receive the fruits terminates when his good faith ceases, it is necessary, in order that this right to
retain may be useful, to concede to the creditor the right to secure reimbursement from the fruits of the property by utilizing
its proceeds for the payment of the interest as well as the principal of the debt while he remains in possession. This right of
retention of the property by the creditor, according to Scaevola, in the light of the provisions of Article 502 of the Spanish Civil
Code, 16 is considered not a coercive measure to oblige the debtor to pay, depriving him temporarily of the enjoyment of the
fruits of his property, but as a means of obtainitig compensation for the debt. The right of retention in this case is analogous
to a contract of antichresis and it cati be considered as a means of extinguishing the obligation, inasmuch as the right to
retain the thing lasts only for the period necessary to enable the creditor to be reimbursed from the fruits for the necessary
and useful expenses. 17

According to Manresa, the right of retention is, therefore, analogous to that of a pledge, if the property retained is a
movable, and to that of antichresis, if the property held is immovable. 18 This construction appears to be in harmony
with similar provisions of the civil law which employs the right of retention as a means or device by which a creditor is able to
obtain the payment of a debt. Thus, under Article 1731 of the New Civil Code, any person who has performed work upon a
movable has a right to retain it by way of pledge until he is paid. Similarly, under Article 1914 of the same Code, the agent
may retain in pledge the things which are the object of the agency until the principal effects reimbursement of the funds
advanced by the former for the execution of the agency, or he is indemnified for all damages which he may have suffered as
a consequence of the execution of the agency, provided he is free from fault. To the same effect, the depositary, under Article
1994 of the same Code, may retain the thing in pledge until the full payment of what may be due him by reason of the
deposit. The usufructuary, pursuant to Article 612 of the same Code, may retain the property until he is reimbursed for the
amount paid for taxes levied on the capital (Article 597) and tor extraordinary repairs (Article 594).

In all of these cases, the right of retention is used as a means of extinguishing the obligation. As amply observed by
Manresa: "El derecho de retencion, lo hemos dicho, es el derecho de prenda o el de anticresis constituido por la ley
con independencia de las partes." 19 In a pledge, if the thing pledged earns or produces fruits, income, dividends or
interests, the creditor shall compensate what he receives with those which are owing him. 20 In the same manner, in a
contract of antichresis, the creditor acquires the right to receive the fruits of an immovable of his debtor with the obligation to
apply them to payment of the interest, if owing, and thereafter to the principal of his credit. 21 The debtor can not reacquire
enjoyment of the immovable until he has actually paid what he owes the creditor. 22

Applying the afore-cited principles to the case at bar, petitioner cannot appropriate for his own exclusive benefit the
tolls which he collected from the property retained by him. It was his duty under the law, after deducting the
necessary expenses for his administration, to apply such amount collected to the payment of the interest, and the
balance to the payment of the obligation.

We hold, therefore, that the disputed tolls, after deducting petitioner's expenses for administration, belong to Quirino
Comintan, owner of the land through which the toll road passed, further considering that the same was on portions
of the property on which petitioner had not introduced any improvement. The trial court itself clarified this matter
when it placed the toll road under receivership. The omission of any mention of the tolls in the decision itself may be
attributed to the fact that the tolls appear to have been collected after the rendition of the judgment of the trial court.

The records further reveal that earnest efforts have been made by private respondents to have the judgment
executed in the most practicable manner. They deposited in court the amount of the judgment in the sum of
P13,632.00 in cash, subject only to the accounting of the tolls collected by the petitioner so that whatever is due
from him may be set off with the amount of reimbursement. This is just and proper under the circumstances and,
under the law, compensation or set off may take place, either totally or partially. Considering that petitioner is the
creditor with respect to the judgment obligation and the debtor with respect to the tolls collected, Comintan being the
owner thereof, the trial court's order for an accounting and compensation is in accord with law. 23

With respect to the amount of reimbursement to be paid by Comintan, it appears that the dispositive portion of the
decision was lacking in specificity, as it merely provided that Comintan and Zamora are jointly liable therefor. When
two persons are liable under a contract or under a judgment, and no words appear in the contract or judgment to
make each liable for the entire obligation, the presumption is that their obligation is joint or mancomunada, and each
debtor is liable only for a proportionate part of the obligation. 24 The judgment debt of P13,632.00 should, therefore, be
pro-rated in equal shares to Comintan and Zamora.

Regarding Lot 5785-B, it appears that no public sale has yet been conducted by the Bureau of Lands and, therefore,
petitioner is entitled to remain in possession thereof. This is not disputed by respondent Eleuterio Zamora. 25 After
public sale is had and in the event that Ortiz is not declared the successful bidder, then he should be reimbursed by
respondent Zamora in the corresponding amount for the improvements on Lot 5785-B.

WHEREFORE, in view hereof, the Order of respondent Court of November 18, 1970 is hereby modified to conform
to the foregoing judgment. The Writ of Preliminary Injunction, dated January 29, 1971, is hereby dissolved. Without
special pronouncement as to costs.

Barredo (Chairman), Concepcion, Jr. and Guerrero, JJ., concur. 1wph1.t

Aquino, J., concurs in the result.

Santos and Abad Santos, JJ., are on leave.

Guerrero, J., was designated to sit in the Second Division

#Footnotes t.hqw

1 Annex "B", Petition, pp. 26-27. Rollo.

2 Ibid, pp. 35-36, Rollo. Emphasis supplied.

3 Docketed as G.R. No. L-32206, entitleed "Bartolome Ortiz vs. Hon. Union C. Kaynan, Eleuterio
Zamora, Quirino Comintan and Vicente Ferro."

4 Annex "D", Petition, p. 48, Rollo.

5 Annex "A", Petition, pp. 17-20, Rollo.

6 Annex "C", Petition, p. 38, Rollo.

7 Annex "G ", Petition, pp. 69-71, Rollo.

8 Private respondents' Supplemental Motion for Reconsideration and Manifestation, pp. 87-88, Rollo.

9 Annex "B" of above Supplemental Motion, p.9l, Rollo.

10 Manifestation of Deputy Sheriff Gregorio B. Pamisaran, p. 95, Rollo.

11 Article 544, New Civil Code.

12 Tacas v. Tobon, 53 Phil. 356; Article 528, New Civil Code.

13 Araujo v. Celis, 16 Phil. 329.

14 IV Manresa, 1951 Ed., pp. 293-294.

15 Ibid., pp. 316- 318.

16 Now Article 594, New Civil Code.

17 Notese en este caso una singularidad: En la situacion juridica prevista por el art. 502, la retencion
se considera, no como medio coercitivo para obligar al deudor al pago, privandole temporalmente de
los beneficios que el goce de su propiedad pudiera reportarle, sino como medio de obtener una
compansacion. La retencion tiene en este caso mucha analogia con el pacto anticretico, y podemos
considerarla como medio extintivo de una obligacion, puesto que el derecho de retener la cosa dura
solo el tiempo necessario para compensar con los frutos el coste de las reparaciones extraordinarias
indespensables para la subsistencia de la cosa usufructuada. El Codigo se desvia conscientemente de
las propiedades genuinas del ius retentionis, pero la desviacion es racionally va derecha al logro de
una finalidad juridica. ' (8 Scaevola, Codigo, Civil, 1948 Ed., p. 478.)

18 Facil es deducir, descartando el art. 494, por su menor relacion con el caso en que nos
encontramos, que el Codigo asimila el derecho de retencion en los bienes muebles a la prenda, y en
los bienes inmuebles a la anticresis, que confiere al acreedor el derecho de percibir los frutos de un
inmueble con la obligacion de aplicarlos, al pago de los intereses, si se debieren, y despues al de
capital de su credito (art. 1.881).

An tratandose de cosas muebles, la ley hace cuanto esta a su alcance para hacer util o provechoso
este derecho. De aqui el articulo 1.868: 'Si la prenda produce intereses, compensara el acreedor los
que perciba con los que se le deben; y si no se le deben, o en cuanto excedan de los legitimamente
debidos, los imputara al capital.'

Respecto a la anticresis, veanse los articulos 1.882 y 1.883: 'El acreedor, dice el primero, salvo pacto
en contrario, esta obligado a pagar las contribuciones v cargas que pesen sobre la finca. Lo esta
 asimismo a hacer los gastos necesarios para su conservacion y repacion. Se deduciran de los frutos
las cantidades que emplee en uno u otro objeto'. 'El deudor, dice el 1.883, no puede readquirir el goce
del inmueble sin haher pagado antes enteramente lo que debe a su acreedor.'

La posesion puede recaer en cosas muebles o inmuebles; la retencion de que habla el art. 453 puede,
pues, recaer sobre unas o otras indistintamente. De aqui tal vez la generalidad de la expresion: retener
hasta el pago. Pero en el art. 453 se trata de gastos reembolsables, de una deuda, como en los
articulos 502, 522, 1.600, 1.730. 1. 780, 1.866 y 1.881. Debemos deducir de aqui, como alguien lo
hace, que el derecho de retencion en el poseedor se reduce a un simple deposito en los bienes
muebles y a una mera administracion en los muebles? Que bentaja reportaria esa deduccion al
poseedor ni al propietario, al acreedor ni al deudor, al vencedor ni al vencido? No es mas logico
equiparar el derecho de retencion a la prenda o a la anticresis? La Idea del Codigo es mas bien esta
que la otra; propietario y poseedor ganan mas con ella. ( IV Manresa. 1951 Ed., pp. 328-329.)

19 IV Manresa, 1951 Ed., p. 330.

20 Article 2102, New Civil Code.

21 Article 2132, Ibid.

22 Article 2136, Ibid

23 Cf. Articles 1278, 1279 and 1283, Ibid

24 Cacho v. Valles, 45 Phil, 107; Ramos v. Gibbon, 67 Phil. 371.

25 Memorandum for Respondents, p. 195, Rollo.

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